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One of The Bold and the Beautiful's longest-running veterans has been taken off contract. Winsor Harmon, who joined the cast in 1996, is now on recurring status. Harmon also appeared on All My Children.

The status change may not surprise B&B viewers, many of whom have noted that Harmon hasn't been featured in a front-burner storyline for several years. It also comes at a time when The Bold and the Beautiful is introducing several new members to its roster of 20somethings.

It should, however, be noted that B&B has had a history of taking actors off contract during periods of "non-use," only to elevate them back to contract status when a storyline was created for their characters. The status tweaking helps keep the show's budget in check.

Harmon joined the cast of The Bold and the Beautiful in December 1996 as the third actor to play Thorne. Clayton Norcross originated the role in 1987 and Jeff Trachta appeared just prior to Harmon assuming the role. Before landing on B&B, Harmon enjoyed a short run as Del Henry on ABC's All My Children

"Winsor Harmon is now on recurring status," a B&B rep confirmed to Soaps In Depth. "It was a mutually agreed upon transition which will allow Winsor to pursue other projects while allowing B&B to have him remain as Thorne Forrester."